


Day Or Night, The Sky's Alight

by killingmonsterswritingthings



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Cohabitation, Gen, Kitchen fire, M/M, Minor Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Season/Series 03, Sharing a Bed, less forced and more accidental
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26161558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killingmonsterswritingthings/pseuds/killingmonsterswritingthings
Summary: Maddie tells Buck she’s pregnant on Monday. His apartment catches fire on Tuesday. Once again, he's in need of a couch to sleep on.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 152





	Day Or Night, The Sky's Alight

Having Mondays off was great. Buck could do his grocery shopping when less people were at the store, his route was almost empty when he went for a run, and he got to catch up on TV. Not that he was doing any of the former options right now while he was laying on the couch, idly scrolling through his phone. He had just settled on maybe getting up to change to work out when there was a knock on his door.

Buck frowned and checked his phone again, but there were no calls or texts from anyone to say they were coming over. He sighed and heaved himself up from the sofa. “That better not be any solicitors…”

He opened the door to Maddie holding up a paper bag from a nearby bakery, looking very happy. Buck blinked at her.

“Maddie, hey! What’s up?”

“What, I can’t have breakfast with my brother?” She waltzed past him into the apartment and he closed the door behind her, confused. It was nearing midday, a little late for breakfast.

“No, of course but… Are you okay? You left kind of in a hurry at the party and then I only get cryptic texts for a day? And Chimney was being pretty weird, too. Did you guys break up?"

Maddie laughed. She put her things down on the kitchen island and then turned around to Buck. “I’m great. Come on, get the plates out.”

Buck, still suspicious, walked over to the cabinet to do his sister’s bidding. Soon they had a pretty decent breakfast spread out on the counter, despite the spontaneity, and were perched on opposite sides of the island. Maddie was holding a freshly made cup of coffee, and she was practically vibrating out of her skin without having taken so much as a sip.

“Mads, seriously…” Buck eyed her with concern, too worried to touch his own coffee, let alone his food. “Are you okay?”

His genuine tone seemed to calm her a little and she gave him another smile. She put down her cup and gripped his hands. “I’m fine. I’m pregnant, Buck.”

“Holy shit.” Buck gaped at her. “Oh my god, Maddie, that’s amazing. Congratulations.” A moment later he was out of his seat and had enveloped her in a big hug. He was going to be an uncle!

He let her go after a moment and settled back into his seat. “Have you been to the doctor yet?” he asked.

“This morning, actually,” Maddie said. That explained the late breakfast offer.

“And then you’re not out celebrating with Chim? Damn, Mads.”

She laughed again. “We already celebrated when I peed on two sticks, it’s okay.” Buck grimaced. He really didn’t need to know that. “He went to go get groceries.”

“He could have come!” Or Buck could have, honestly. He really needed to get food.

“He wanted to give us a moment alone,” Maddie shrugged. Okay, Buck had to admit that was actually kind of thoughtful, and he appreciated it.

“Fine. We’ll have to have a party after the first trimester then,” he said and finally stuffed the donut she had brought him into his mouth.

“Of course.” She picked up her cup again and took a sip. Buck gasped.

“Wait, can you even have coffee?” He knew his mouth was full, but concern went over table manners. 

“I saved my daily allowance for this,” she grinned. “Don’t worry. One cup of coffee is perfectly fine.”

It didn’t comfort Buck much, but Maddie was the pregnant person here and used to be a nurse, so she probably knew best. He finally finished chewing and swallowed. “God, I can’t believe I’m going to be an uncle.”

“I can’t quite believe it either,” Maddie said, “and I have the ultrasound picture to prove it.”

“You couldn’t have led with that? Show me!” Buck excitedly wiped his sugary hands on his sweatpants.

“You can’t really see anything yet, Buck,” she laughed, but rummaged around in her bag for a moment anyway. 

“Well, you can point it out to me.”

She handed him the small ultrasound picture. It wasn’t actually as hard to read as he had expected, it was pretty obvious where the embryo was. He squinted at it.

“Wow. That is tiny. Like… a bean. How far along are you?”

She laughed. “About seven weeks. And yes, it’s a very small bean.”

“Hi bean,” Buck said to the picture. He looked at it and already felt love hook into his heart, little barbs on an arrow that he would never be able to pull out. How could he already love a person that wasn’t even technically alive yet?

When he looked up, Maddie was watching him with the same expression he was sure he had just worn a second before. Her eyes were a little wet, but she was smiling, her cheek propped up on one of her hands.

“You’re going to be great,” he told her.

***

Sleep didn’t come easy that night, so when Buck woke up to his fire alarm blaring, and smoke wafting up the stairs of the loft, it took him a moment longer than usual to process it. After a few beats, he staggered to his feet and peered over the balustrade to see his whole kitchen counter engulfed in flames.

“Great, good to know my kitchen is somehow made of highly flammable material,” he groaned. Probably the coating on the cabinets or something.

He wrapped his shirt around his mouth and nose in a make-shift mask and dialed 911 with one hand while he flew down the stairs to grab his fire-extinguisher. He knew it would be empty before he could put out the whole fire, and it was hard to see where exactly it had started through the smoke. The stove was the obvious choice, but he didn’t remember even using it in the last couple of days. The fridge? Maybe one of the outlets had sparked?

Flames licked up at his arm as he pointed the extinguisher at the fire and for some reason, all he could think about was how glad he was that Maddie wasn’t working tonight. With his luck, she would have taken the call, and this was the last thing she needed right now.

The fire was out within five minutes of the crew of the 121 getting there. But they made him leave the house, obviously, and then he had to sit on the back of the ambulance and get checked out by some paramedics he only vaguely recognized.

The captain came up to him after he was cleared. “So, structural integrity is there, but there’s a fair amount of water damage and fumes, so you will have to stay somewhere else tonight. Is there anyone you want us to call?”

Buck sighed but shrugged with a slight smile. “Nah, I can call someone, thanks.” He was glad he had managed to hold onto his phone. He dug it out of the pockets of his sweatpants now and dialed Eddie’s number.

“Buck?” Eddie sounded tired, and Buck immediately felt guilty. It was the middle of the night, they had a shift in a few hours and Eddie famously did not sleep well even on his nights off. He should have called… No, no one else was really equipped for this either. Damn.

“Sorry I’m calling so late,” he said, “but uh, I need somewhere to stay tonight and I was wondering if I could come over.”

“What? What happened?”

Buck winced. “My kitchen kind of caught fire?”

There was some rustling on the other end. “I’ll be right there.”

“No, I can dr-” But Eddie had already hung up. Thinking about it further, Buck’s car keys were still in his apartment, so no, he really  _ couldn’t  _ drive. So he sat on the curb and watched as the fire crew packed up their gear, waving at them to leave, assuring them he wasn’t stupid enough to go back into his apartment.

Eddie pulled up twenty minutes later, and he had definitely been speeding. Before Buck could get up, Eddie had already gotten out of the car and jogged over to him.

“Are you okay?”

“Hello to you too,” Buck said. “You didn’t have to rush. I’m fine.”

“Your kitchen was on fire. And you’re not wearing shoes,” Eddie said, looking him up and down.

“Emphasis on was. And of course I’m not wearing shoes, I was asleep. Be happy I’m wearing pants.” He wiggled his bare toes against the cool asphalt. He hadn’t been thinking about it before but suddenly he was glad he had fallen asleep in sweatpants the night before. The shirt around his face he had dropped somewhere in the hallway, and the paramedics had given him a blanket even though he had said - lied - that he didn’t need it.

“Come on. You can borrow some clothes.”

Buck smiled and let himself be pulled up and ushered into Eddie’s car.

The house was dark and quiet when they got there, and Buck had to remind himself it was because it was the middle of the night, not because it was empty - even though it was that, too, with Christopher away at Camp. Eddie opened the door and held it open for Buck, flipping on lights as they went, somehow never straying far from him. Buck, coming down from his adrenaline high and feeling the ache in his body, followed him blindly until they stepped into the bedroom.

“Sit down,” Eddie instructed, “you look dead on your feet.”

Buck sure was happy to get off them, so he complied and sat on the edge of Eddie’s bed, hyperaware that he was probably getting the comforter dirty. For a moment, Eddie just looked at him, and Buck couldn’t quite parse his expression, then he turned and started rummaging through his dresser.

“You can wear these.” He held out a stack of neatly folded clothes to Buck. “Do you want to take a shower first?”

“I guess,” Buck said. “I’m probably all smelly and sooty.” He stood again and let the blanket drop from his shoulders to take the clothes from Eddie. They slipped easily from Eddie’s grasp, his gaze fixed on Buck’s arm.

“You got burnt?” 

Buck looked down, remembering the gauze around his right forearm. He shrugged. “Apparently that’s what happens when you don’t wear proper equipment to try and put out a kitchen fire.”

“And they didn’t make you go to the hospital?”

“It wasn’t so bad.” He snorted. He’d definitely had worse things happen to him on the job. “I convinced them to just put some cream on it and wrap it up.”

Eddie opened his mouth, then seemed to think better of it. “Alright, just… make sure not to get it wet so I don’t have to redo the dressings before morning?”

“I’ll hold it out of the shower the whole time,” Buck promised, and Eddie rolled his eyes fondly.

“Alright, go on then.” He gently pushed Buck towards the bathroom, gathering up the blanket as he went. “You know where the towels are.”

Buck gave him a small wave to indicate he had understood.

When Buck emerged from the bathroom, his muscles much looser than before, Eddie was in the living room on the couch, propped up with one of the pillows from his bed, feet tucked under a blanket, scrolling through his phone. He looked up when Buck entered.

“I made tea,” he said, motioning at the coffee table, where there were indeed two steaming mugs of tea.

Buck felt… gratitude, and a little embarrassment. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I got bored, because moving my pillow out here took like three seconds.”

“Well in that case.” Buck flopped down next to him and reached for the mugs, but Eddie was faster, pressing one of them into Buck’s good hand.

“How’s the arm?”

Buck grinned at him. “Burning.”

“You’re terrible.”

“I know.” Buck gently lifted the mug to his mouth and took a sip. Then he sighed and let his head tip back against the backrest of the couch.

Eddie stayed silent next to him, drinking his own tea. It was quiet, and Buck, coming down from his adrenaline high, let his head sink further into the cushions, until Eddie’s foot nudging against his knee startled him so badly he almost spilled his tea. He must have nodded off.

“Time to go to bed, huh?” Eddie smiled. “I’ve already texted Bobby, so you’ve got tomorrow off.”

“Shit, our shift…” Buck mumbled. “Are you gonna be okay? I’m sorry I made you come all the way to get me in the middle of the night.”

“I’ve gotten through way worse than a little sleep deprivation,” Eddie said with a shrug, foot still pressed to Buck’s leg, pushing him. “Go on then, I put new sheets on the bed for you.”

Buck frowned. It took a moment for his brain to catch up, but then: “Wait… what? You’re not giving me your bed.” He got up and put his mug on the coffee table to offer Eddie a hand and help him up. “Come on.”

“No way, I’m taking the couch,” Eddie scoffed and burrowed further under the blanket now that Buck had vacated his seat, pulling it up almost to the chin.

“Eddie, I can’t make you sleep on your own couch.” Buck was trying to stay firm, but the view before him was just too adorable, making the corners of his mouth quirk up. “Just let me take the couch.”

Eddie dropped his act and sat up straighter again, looking at Buck with the same look he had given him when he had picked him up. “I’m not the one whose kitchen burned down. Take the bedroom, Evan.”

Buck, sobered by the use of his first name - chastising but so much gentler than his parents had ever used it - and the soreness in his muscles and lungs even after the shower, gave in. “Alright, fine. I made two phone calls today, which is more than I usually do in a week. I’m too tired to argue.”

“I don’t think that’s the reason,” Eddie said, but he was smiling again. He slid off the couch. “Come on, you big baby. I’ll tuck you in.”

Buck opened his mouth to protest but quickly accepted his fate and followed Eddie to the bedroom.

Eddie really pulled the covers back for him. “In you go.”

“Wow, you really miss Christopher, huh?” Buck rolled his eyes but crawled into bed, letting Eddie put the comforter over him.

Eddie grinned at him. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”

Buck stuck his tongue out at him, but somewhere inside, he was grateful. Eddie turned the light off on his way out, and Buck wiggled further down the bed to lie comfortably.

Thankfully this time he fell asleep within seconds of his head hitting the pillow. A kitchen fire would do that to you.

  
  


He couldn’t have slept long when a gentle hand on his shoulder roused him.

“Buck,” Eddie whispered, too close to his ear. “I have to leave for work soon.”

“Okay…” Buck mumbled, still half-asleep. “Bye. Have fun.”

Eddie gave a low laugh. “No, I have to look at your arm. Come on.”

“Ugh,” Buck made and rolled over, putting his weight on his burnt arm. Which… ouch. He finally opened his eyes and groaned, both from the pain and the time on the alarm clock reading 5:17am. “I hate this.” Not even getting burnt could get him out of waking up at the crack of dawn, apparently.

He let himself be pulled up and led to the bathroom where Eddie made him sit down on the closed toilet and undid the wrappings around his arm. Eddie’s fingers were gentle, prodding at the edges of the burn, but Buck still had to bite his lips.

“Looks good,” Eddie finally said. Buck snorted. “You know what I mean. It’s clean, no signs of infection, and it’s not as big as I thought.”

“Yeah, this is definitely not the worst I’ve had.” Buck said, looking at his arm. He remembered his leg, and his embolism, and wandering through half-destroyed Santa Monica bleeding. This was… basically nothing.

“Well, it’s the worst burn you’ve had as far as I can tell,” Eddie said, letting go of Buck’s arm. It felt strangely cold.

“How do you even know that?” Buck asked. He knew Eddie was perceptive, but this was… a lot.

Eddie rolled his eyes, not deeming that worth a reply, apparently, and reached for some ointment.

“Antibiotic cream?” Buck raised his eyebrows. “Eddie, you have a whole pharmacy at home.”

Eddie carefully spread the ointment on the burnt area. “I added some things to my first aid kit. An accident prone kid and a dangerous job make for a bad combination.”

“Makes sense.” Buck had the feeling he should do the same. With how often he got hurt and Chris was over at his place, his standard first aid kit just wouldn’t cut it.

Eddie finished putting the cream on Buck’s arm and carefully wrapped fresh gauze around it. “All done.”

“Thanks.” Buck wiggled his fingers a little and stood up. He attempted to help Eddie put things back into their proper place, but Eddie just hip bumped him to get him to go out into the hall, so Buck made his way into the kitchen. He was standing in front of the counter debating if he should have coffee or if he was going to go back to bed when Eddie poked his head in.

“I gotta take off.”

“Oh, I’ll walk you out!” Buck turned and followed him to the front door, all the while Eddie was talking.

“Painkillers are on the top shelf in the bathroom cabinet if you need them. Don’t touch the dressings, unless it starts seeping through the gauze or you-”

“Eddie, I’ve had first aid training, I’ll be fine.”

“Right,” Eddie said, deflating a little, and Buck laughed.

“I may not be a paramedic, but I know how to take care of myself.” Eddie gave him a look as if he didn’t believe him at all, and Buck thought that was pretty unfair. He gently pushed Eddie out the door. “Go, or you’ll be late. Have a good day at work!”

He ignored the urge to kiss Eddie on the cheek, instead giving him a hug before closing the door in front of his nose. Maybe a little rude, considering this was Eddie’s house, but hey, the guy had to get to work. And Buck should get another few hours of sleep.

He went back to bed, crawling between the sheets that smelled so nicely of Eddie’s detergent.

**Author's Note:**

> this self-indulgent little thing is hopefully only going to be a couple chapters (maybe 4 or 5?) but bear with me 
> 
> title is from bts' dynamite
> 
> come yell with me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/luffylaws) or [tumblr](https://leiathelight.tumblr.com), or leave me a comment! (or both...)


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